Valve’s classic PC game Portal is coming to the NVIDIA Shield through the Google Play Store next week, though sadly it won’t work on any other Android devices.

The first-person action-puzzle game, for lack of a better term, will land on the Play Store on May 12, and cost $9.99, the same price as the original PC version. The game will be essentially the same as the original version, except you’ll be able to play it on a handheld device running Android instead of on a PC.

Portal first came out in 2007 as part of The Orange Box, which also Included Half-Life 2 (along with its two episodes) and Team Fortress 2 (before it was free-to-play). Because it’s been out for so long, it’s likely that most people who want to play it have done so already. And it seems like a pretty safe bet that most NVIDIA Shield owners already played through the game multiple times. The exciting part here might not be the chance to play a classic game on a new console, however.

Perhaps more exciting than Portal coming to Shield is that it means Valve and NVIDIA have ported the Source Engine to Android. Source is the graphics engine that powers all of Valve’s games, including the aforementioned Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2, as well as Left 4 Dead. If one game works on the platform, it stands to reason that it may possible to port other Source games to the Shield. It’s hard to imagine anything much more recent than Portal coming to the platform any time soon, but a chance to replay Half-Life 2 on the go sounds like a great idea.

What Source games would you like to see come to the Shield? Would more classic PC games entice you to buy the handheld?

HTC’s giant mid-range phone, the HTC Desire 816, is slowly rolling out to European countries following its release in Asia in March.

The HTC Desire 816 is now available in Romania for 1,299 RON, or about $405. The 5.5-inch phone will presumably make its way to other European countries sometime in the near future. The Romanian version of the phone has dual SIM support, though not all models will support two SIM cards.

While the HTC Desire 816 looks similar to the HTC One (M8), and has a larger display, it is more of a mid-range phone meant for those who can’t afford the premium flagship phone. The Desire 816 has a 720p display, a quad-core 1.6 GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, a 2600 mAh battery, and 8GB of storage that’s expandable via a microSD card. The phone does have a higher-resolution camera than the One (M8), however, with a 13MP rear-facing camera, and a 5MP front-facing camera.

The HTC Desire 816 will make it to the U.S. eventually, though it’s not clear when or what carrier it will be one. Assuming it comes in at the same price it will compete on price with phones like the Nexus 5, Moto X, and the OnePlus One (assuming you can get an invite to buy that phone).

Would you consider buying the HTC Desire 816 when it comes to the U.S.? Or is the price too much for a mid-range phone given the competition?

Today HTC introduced possibly the best version of its flagship HTC One (M8) that few people will get to experience because it’s a Sprint exclusive.

The new HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon edition enhances the audio of the already-great One (M8) using Harman Clafi-Fi technology. The app “rebuilds” compressed audio to add in elements of music that’s lost when its compressed to fit on your phone. Harman uses the Clari-Fi technology in select speakers, but this is the first time it’s available on a smartphone, or any other mobile device.

It’s easy to dismiss the technology as a gimmick, but unlike Beats or some other brands that mostly seem to emphasize the bass in music, Clari-Fi actually adds highs and lows to music, giving it a fuller sound. The technology can transform something like a Spotify stream or a highly-compressed MP3 and make it sound as good as if not better than CD quality music. It’s a noticeable difference that should make a big difference to anyone who spends a lot of time listening to music.

In our review we found the original HTC One (M8) to be on of the best phones on the market. With Clari-Fi and to enhance the BoomSound speakers, the HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon edition is arguably the best version of that phone, at least it’s the best version of the phone for audiophiles. It’s probably the best phone for audiophiles overall. Except very few people will buy it, because it’s only available on Sprint.

The phone will come with a custom set of Harman Kardon AE-S headphones with “extended bass response” that should help you get more out of Clari-Fi. Though audiophiles probably have their own headphones they’d prefer to use.

The HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon edition will be available on May 2 online, and on May 9 in stores. It will cost $28.34 a month with no down payment on a Sprint Easy Pay plan. With 24 monthly payments that prices the phone at $680.16. There’s no word on the subsidized price of the phone.

Along with the new phone Sprint introduced a new partnership with Spotify to offer Framily Plan subscribers six month of Spotify Premium for free. Framily Plan subscribers can subscribe to the service for $7.99 or $4.99 depending on the number of people in their “Framily,” which larger groups paying less for the service each month.

Would you consider buying the HTC One (M8) Harman Kardon edition on Sprint? Or would prefer to have it on another carrier?

David Croyle, the man behind the designs of the HTC One (M8) and every other smartphone in HTC’s One line will soon be leaving the company.

Croyle led HTC’s design team since the manufacturer acquired his One & Co studio back in 2008. During that time his team designed arguably the most attractive smartphones in the past few years. Croyle isn’t just abruptly leaving, though. HTC told The Verge that Croyle’s departure is a “long-term transition” that will see him take on the role of consultant for the next few months as his replacement takes over his position.

Croyle will leave the company to work on a wider range of projects. There’s no word on what those projects might be, but hopefully we’ll see more of his designs whenever they’re ready.

Jonah Becker, Croyle’s second in command, will likely take over as head of the company’s design team in San Francisco.

HTC also promoted Drew Bamford from his position as head of Sense user experience to head of all software and services. The move could be a sign that HTC is trying to simplify its teams through consolidation.

While HTC has consistently produced great-looking devices, it does have its fair share of problems. The phones don’t sell nearly as well as Samsung’s Galaxy devices, and Croyle is just the latest major executive to leave the company. According to GeekWire, Ford Davidson, who joined HTC when it bought his company Dashwire, is also leaving the manufacturer to work on his own projects, potentially to found a new startup.

The executive churn and poor sales aren’t good signs for HTC, especially as it heads into new categories like wearables which haven’t yet proven incredibly successful for any company. Maybe Becker can help keep design a consistent strong point for the company, and Bamford can help make the user experience better. But is that enough?

Are you confident in HTC’s ability to keep going forward given the recent changes?

During testimony Tuesday a Google lawyer admitted that Google agreed to help defend Samsung against Apple in relation to certain patents involved in the ongoing lawsuit.

According to Re/code Google lawyer James Maccoun said during testimony that Google will offer full or partial indemnity in relation to four patents involved in the case. So, if Samsung has to pay for infringing those patents Google will pay at least part of the associated fees.

While Google agreed to help with four patents involved in the suit, only two of those patents remain active in the case: patents ‘414 and ‘959 which deal with background synchronization and universal search, respectively.

Google is obligated to help Samsung through the “Mobile Application Distribution Agreement” which lets Samsung include Google apps such as Gmail and the Play Store on its devices. Because of that agreement, it’s probable that Google is only helping Samsung when the aforementioned patents apply to Google apps like Gmail and the Search app. Google likely isn’t involved in the aspects of the case which apply more to the open source aspects of Android as Samsung is allowed to change that code as it sees fit.

Manufacturers aren’t allowed to change the code of Google apps, so if the patents apply to those apps it only makes sense that Google helps those manufacturers with any defense and indemnity.

While there is an argument to be made that Apple could cut out the middleman and sue Google over those patents directly, current patent law lets companies sue manufacturers who use software that infringe patents, even if they didn’t create that software. That plus the fact that Samsung makes money directly from Android devices make it the target of Apple’s lawsuits.

This isn’t the first time Google has gotten involved in court cases involving Android manufacturers. The company recently involved itself in the lawsuits between HTC and Nokia to be more involved with those patent disputes.

If the court rules in favor of Apple in the case Samsung could have to pay up to $2 billion in fees. Samsung, of course, argues that it doesn’t infringe on Apple’s patents, and that Apple’s patents aren’t even valid. Samsung also argued that, if it is found to have infringed the patents, it shouldn’t have to pay nearly the sum Apple is asking for.

Do you think Google should be doing more to help manufacturers in patent lawsuits, or is its current involvement good enough?

Most smartphones will have the ability for users to remotely wipe and lock them down in case they’re stolen after July 2015 thanks to a new industry initiative.

Google, HTC, Motorola, and Samsung joined the top five U.S. carriers and other companies like Apple, Microsoft, Huawei, and Nokia in agreeing to the initiative. The idea is that everyone will have the chance to protect the data on their phone and prevent the phone from being used by someone else if its ever stolen. Of course, users will be able to restore their phone data when they have access to the device, if they ever get their device back.

The initiative comes in response to numerous states considering laws that mandate such a kill-switch in an effort to stem smartphone theft. California state Senator Mark Leno told Re/code the initiative doesn’t go far enough, though. “Only weeks ago, [the wireless industry] claimed that the approach they are taking today was infeasible and counterproductive,” Leno said. “While I am encouraged they are moving off of that position so quickly, today’s ‘opt-in’ proposal misses the mark if the ultimate goal is to combat street crime and violent thefts involving smartphones and tablets.”

The kill-switch being opt-in means if you don’t want the chance to remotely wipe and lockdown your phone, you can simply not turn it on. Of course, that also means that those who don’t know about the feature, or never think they’re going to use it, won’t really be protected. If the feature is included in the myriad menus you have to click through to set up a phone there’s a chance more people will use it. Of course, there’s also the chance some will ignore it because they just want to set up the phone and get to downloading Instagram, Threes, or whatever app they absolutely need to access right away, leaving the phone unprotected.

There’s still more than a year for Google and Android manufacturers to include the feature in their phones. Those feature may come sooner, though. Some phones already have the feature, Apple included such a feature, called Activation Lock, in iOS 7, but there’s no feature built into Android at the moment.

Do you think an opt-in option is good enough, or should the remote kill-switch be opt-out instead?

Google may be preparing a redesign for Android to debut at Google I/O, and some leaked images indicate we’re in for a flatter look this time ‘round.

The leaked images come from Android Police and show some new icons for several Android apps. The new design seems to bring the icons closer to the icons of their web counterparts, though with some slight differences. If the images prove true, we’re in for redesigned looks for Play Music, Play Books, Play Movies, Play Games, Google+, Calendar, People, Chrome, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, Hangouts, Camera, and the Play Store.

Google is allegedly calling this redesign Moonshine, which is a name we haven’t heard before. Recent leaks hinting at a new look said Google was working on something called Project Hera that’s related to the new look, but not directly. It seems unlikely that Google would ship a redesign under the name Moonshine, but we don’t know if the name will change before release.

There are several possibilities for the new Android design according to recent leaks, all of which seem to fit well with the aesthetic of these leaked icons. Every leak seems to point to a flatter design for Android, which seems to be a trend in the wireless industry as a whole at the moment.

If Google is planning a redesign for Android, Google I/O seems like the logical place to announce it. Of course, there’s always the chance it will announce the redesign in a random blog post some day, like it did with Android Wear. Hopefully if/when Google does announce the redesign we won’t have to wait too long for it to rollout.

Are you ready for a new look for Android, or do you prefer the current design?

]]>http://www.androidauthority.com/flat-android-app-redesign-368620/feed/28Analyst says Sprint and T-Mobile have to merge for both to livehttp://www.androidauthority.com/analyst-sprint-t-mobile-merger-367788/
http://www.androidauthority.com/analyst-sprint-t-mobile-merger-367788/#commentsSat, 12 Apr 2014 02:17:54 +0000http://www.androidauthority.com/?p=367788

A new report from analyst firm New Street Research says that T-Mobile and Sprint will have to merge lest one of them is forced to fold.

According to the report neither Sprint nor T-Mobile can last for too long, saying that both lack the revenue needed to cover fixed costs. The firm also doubts if either carrier can gain enough new revenue, saying both need to raise an additional $10 billion in the next 18 months to stay competitive. “Both companies aren’t independently viable at the same time,” the report says. “We show that there simply isn’t enough revenue in the industry for four carriers to cover their fixed costs unless there is a significant shift in market share.” Remaining competitive, according to the analyst firm, would include buying more spectrum for both carriers.

New Street Research also makes an argument that in other countries such as Greece, the Netherlands, and Austria, consumer prices dropped when the wireless market consolidated to fewer competing carriers. The argument seems to echo Sprint chairman Masayoshi Son’s comments that Sprint would start a “massive price war” if it was allowed to merge with T-Mobile.

The biggest obstacles to that merger, as New Street points out, and most of us know by now, are the FTC and FCC. Neither government agency wants to see the U.S. carrier market shrink to three carriers. And their arguments make sense. From its current position T-Mobile has been able to shake up the industry with its Un-carrier plans. There is a legitimate fear that a combined Sprint/T-Mobile wouldn’t make the moves the current T-Mobile is making.

Maybe if one carrier was on the verge of failing the government agencies would be more receptive to the idea of a merger, but by then it may be too late. New Street says that at that point the merged carrier wouldn’t be able to challenge the AT&T and Verizon duopoly.

The New Street report is fairly depressing in that it makes a fairly reasonable argument for a Sprint/T-Mobile merger. It’s hard to see that merger being great for us as users. Sure, there’s promises of a “massive price war,” and the examples from other countries hint that maybe it would be a good thing, but there’s always a risk that promises won’t be kept and that the U.S. will prove the exception to the rule.

For now we’ll just have to hope that at least one of them can pull in the revenue needed to live and compete against AT&T and Verizon. The question is, which one would you like to see survive if one of them has to fail?

When Samsung first announced the Galaxy S5 one of the big software features it touted was Download Booster, a feature that uses both Wi-Fi and LTE to make downloading files faster, but as with so many things, most U.S. carriers block the feature on their versions of the phone.

AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all block the Download Booster on their models of the Galaxy S5. T-Mobile is the only big four carrier that supports the feature. U.S. Cellular also allows the feature, for those who live in the regional carrier’s service area.

Presumably the feature is turned off so it doesn’t put a strain on LTE networks. Verizon doesn’t give a reason as to why it blocks the feature on the Galaxy S5, but does confirm it’s “not currently supported” in the Q&A section of its product page. For its part, Sprint omitted any mention of the feature from its user manual for the Galaxy S5.

Unfortunately, it isn’t the least bit surprising that carriers have blocked the feature. U.S. carriers have a history of blocking features in smartphones. AT&T notably blocked FaceTime over cellular on the iPhone 4S, and later blocked video chat in Hangouts for Android, though it reversed course on both over time.

There’s an argument to be made that the feature was turned off so users don’t accidentally use too much of their limited data plans. There are ways around that by making the feature opt-in, or warning users about it, but three of the major carriers chose to just remove it instead.

With the Fire TV, Amazon entered an already crowded media streaming market, one that’s arguably dominated by Apple and Roku, but Amazon’s box has a few advantages that can help set it apart.

For the most part media streaming devices have the same features. There’s only so many media streaming services available, and only so many things you can do with a tiny box that connects to a TV. Amazon has to differentiate in other ways, ways that aren’t so much about content.

So how can Amazon make the Fire TV different?

Exposure

How did you first hear about the Amazon Fire TV? Okay, there’s a good chance you heard rumors of the box for a long time, and you watched tech news sites as they liveblogged the event and posted their first hands-on. But if you visited Amazon’s website any time since the announcement you no doubt saw the letter from Jeff Bezos on the homepage introducing the device. Even now, two days later, the letter is still there.

The reach of Amazon really can’t be overstated. Even if the Fire TV has the same basic functions as Roku boxes, more people are familiar with the Amazon brand than Roku. Of course, that doesn’t help Amazon against Apple or Google, though.

Media Prediction

One of the features Amazon doesn’t really seem like its touting too much is also one that could give it an edge against the Apple TV and Chromecast. Advanced Streaming and Prediction, or ASAP, sounds like a backcronym, but that doesn’t make it any less cool. ASAP is a feature that predicts what shows or movies you might want to watch next and preloads it onto the Fire TV so its available to streaming instantaneously.

Assuming the feature works and can accurately predict your tastes, it should cut the buffering times from your streaming. Buffering is a common complaint with the Apple TV, especially with customers of notoriously bad ISPs (Comcast and Time Warner, for example). By potentially cutting out buffering Amazon has a leg-up on the current Apple TV.

Gaming

The last thing the Fire TV has going for it is more of a promise than anything else at the moment. With the ability to play some Android games the Fire TV is almost like a better version of the Ouya, albeit one without Towerfall (also known as the only reason to own an Ouya). Sev Zero looks like it could be a cool game, but so far it’s the only exclusive game on the platform.

Amazon is trying to build up its gaming efforts, though. It recently bought Double Helix, the developer behind the Xbox One version of Killer Instinct, and the Strider reboot on all consoles. There’s also been reports that Amazon is looking around the video game industry to beef up Amazon Game Studios. Not to mention AppStream which looks tailor-made for streaming games to the box.

With the right talent in Amazon Game Studios and enough publishers or developers using AppStream the Fire TV could be an interesting, and rather inexpensive, video game console in addition to a media streamer. Though a game controller that doesn’t look like a rejected OnLive controller design would be nice.

Is it enough?

Even with its advantages, there’s no guarantee the Fire TV will succeed against Apple, Google, or even Roku. Some of its features are neat, but not exactly game-changers, while others won’t appeal to everyone. If the Kindle and Kindle Fire proved anything, though, it’s that Amazon is willing to iterate over a few generations even if the first one doesn’t exactly blow away the competition.

What do you think sets the Fire TV apart? What would make you actually buy one over another streaming set-top box?